Everytime Movie: News, Cast & Release Updates

The Sarajevo Film Festival has unveiled its official competition lineup for 2026, selecting 51 feature and short films from across the region and beyond, with Austrian director Sandra Wollner’s drama “Everytime” headlining the main program.

Wollner’s film, which premieres in Sarajevo’s feature competition on August 6, centers on a fractured trio brought together by a shared tragedy. The story follows a mother, her daughter, and a teenage boy who, struggling under the weight of blame and the search for forgiveness, embark on a trip to Tenerife for a family holiday that was never realized. As the Mediterranean sun beats down, the boundaries between past and present begin to blur, forcing the characters to confront unresolved grief. The 123-minute drama stars Birgit Minichmayr as Ella, alongside Tristán López as Lux, Lotte Keiling as Melli, and Carla Hüttermann as Jessie, with additional cast including Hermann Beyer, Eva Weißenborn, Knut Berger, and Lilly Marie Tschörtner.

“Everytime” has not yet received a TMDb rating, but its inclusion in a competitive slate of 51 entries signals strong industry confidence in Wollner’s follow-up to her acclaimed earlier works. The film is one of several high-profile selections announced by festival organizers as part of a program that aims to spotlight both established auteurs and emerging voices from Southeast Europe and the wider region.

The 2026 Sarajevo Film Festival, running from August 14 to 21, has long served as a key platform for new cinema from the Balkans and beyond. This year’s competition includes a mix of dramatic features, documentaries, and shorts, with juries drawn from international film professionals. Organizers noted that the selection reflects a “rich and urgent” moment in regional filmmaking, with stories that grapple with inherited trauma, family bonds, and the search for identity in a changing Europe.

“Everytime” explores these themes directly through its intimate, sun-drenched narrative. The plot synopsis describes a journey that is both literal and emotional: the three central characters-Ella, her daughter Melli, and the teenage Lux-set out for a vacation that was meant to be a family milestone but was halted by tragedy. Rather than offering easy reconciliation, the film reportedly lets the Tenerife landscape act as a mirror for memory, where the brightness of the vacation setting contrasts with the shadows of past events.

Minichmayr, a celebrated Austrian actress known for her work in both film and theater, leads the cast. Her character Ella carries the emotional core of the story, navigating a mother’s guilt and the impossible task of forgiving herself. Opposite her, newcomers and younger cast members bring a raw energy to the breakdown of communication between generations.

Wollner’s previous films, including the 2020 release “The Trouble With Being Born,” have earned her a reputation for bold, formally inventive storytelling that often examines fractured identities and the ethics of memory. “Everytime” appears to continue that trajectory, though with a more grounded, sunlit aesthetic. The shift from the chilly, digitally mediated worlds of her earlier work to the warm palette of Tenerife marks a notable evolution in her visual language.

The Sarajevo competition also underscores the festival’s commitment to gender parity and emerging directorial talent. Of the 51 selected films, more than half are directed or co-directed by women, and several debut features are in the running. The inclusion of “Everytime,” with its predominantly female creative team behind the camera, fits that broader programming philosophy.

Industry insiders will be watching the Sarajevo competition closely, as past winners have gone on to international festival success and distribution deals. The 2026 edition is expected to draw buyers, programmers, and critics from across Europe and North America, all looking for the next breakout title from a region that has consistently punched above its weight in global cinema.

For Wollner, a strong showing in Sarajevo could cement her status as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Austrian cinema. “Everytime” is set for a theatrical release immediately following its festival premiere, with a wide rollout expected in German-speaking markets and select international territories later this year.

The full list of 51 competition films was released by the festival on Thursday, with opening and closing night titles to be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets for the August 14 launch went on sale earlier this month.

Source: Hollywood Reporter